December 24

Ernest Morial

New Orleans, Louisiana's  first African American Mayor, Ernest Nathan "Dutch" Morial died on December 24, 1989 in New Orleans at age 60.  He was born on October 9, 1929 in New Orleans.  Morial grew up in New Orleans 7th Ward and later graduated from Xavier University and became the first African American to receive his law degree from Louisiana State University.   Morial was very active in civil rights and was elected president of the local NAACP Chapter in New Orleans.  He became the first African American elected to the Louisiana State Legislature in 1967 since reconstruction.  Morial also was elected as the first African American Juvenile Court Judge and Circuit Court of Appeals Judge in Louisiana.  He defeated City Councilman Joseph V. DiRosa to become Mayor of New Orleans in 1977 and was elected a second time in 1982 and served the maximum two terms allowed by law. His presence was strong in New Orleans as a political leader and was encouraging to minorities across the country.  His son, Marc Morial was also Mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002.